Mitsotakis: Tsipras lacks the political legitimacy to bind Greece in FYROM agreement

The President of main opposition New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, made the following statement after the Greek Prime Minister's national address on FYROM

:"After six months of secret diplomacy, Mr. Tsipras agreed with the Prime Minister of FYROM, Mr. Zaev, to sign a bilateral agreement on the long standing differences with our neighbour country. He has done so after dismissing the Greek people and their sensibilities. And, after blatantly ignoring all opposition parties and the Parliament.I want to be absolutely clear: Mr. Tsipras does not pocess the political legitimacy to bind Greece by signing an agreement that does not have the full support of his own government. This has no precedent in Greek political and constitutional history and thus is an insult to the country's parliamentary system. I will inform the President of the Republic, the institutional guarantor of government, of this unprecedented development.Regarding the substance of the agreement, based on what we know and have heard from Mr. Tsipras, I only have this to say: Accepting a "macedonian language" and a "macedonian ethnicity" constitute an unacceptable national retreat.The agreed solution represents a bad agreement.It is in conflict with the majority of Greeks. Some may not comprehend this fact or, even worse, do not care to comprehend. They are the same that in the past had no objection that the neighbouring country be named Macedonia alone.Moreover, it is a bad agreement because it affords marginal elements to stake their bids on a fake sense of nationalism, something that unfortunately is being witnessed throughout Europe.As a nation, we are called upon to mend many wounds. We certainly do not need to open another one, especially in northern Greece.My priority is to contribute, with all my power, to safeguarding the unity of the Greek people. I repeat: We will not divide the Greek people in order to unite the people of FYROM.FYROM’s problem cannot become a problem for Greece. I call on Mr. Tsipras not to sign this agreement.”